Stacking aligner mechanism



7 9 a I I 4 v v E rfii utf T r.

D. L. ZINN STACKING ALIGNER MECHANISM Filed y 5. 1966 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,385,457 STACKING ALIGNER MECHANISM Daniel L. Zinn, 8881 Central Ave., Warren, Mich. 48204 Filed May 3, 1966, Ser. No. 547,301 2 Claims. (Cl. 214-6) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE nected to the power means and at the other ends having a resilient sliding lost motion connection to said third stop plate.

The present invention is directed to the stacking of sheets or strips or of rectangular objects where they are delivered in a stack successively and wherein mechanism is employed for rendering the side edges thereof substantially in vertical alignment.

Heretofore, in various industries and particularly in an industry shearing ofi elongated strips of metal stock from a roll of metal, these strips are stacked to a predetermined heighth and are wrapped or tied for shipment. One of the difficulties in arranging these stacks of material is that after the ejection from the working machine or shearing tool or other device, side edges of the stock are not in substantial vertical alignment. This results in some damage to the material in many cases in the tying operation and furthermore renders the stock as stacked as difficult in moving from place to place.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an aligning device used in the stacking of sheet material as for example, metal strips cut from a roll of metal or the like wherein upon ejection from the machine, said strips are projected against a stop limiting endwise movement and adjacent to a stop limiting lateral movement in one direction. The present aligner device includes a power operated reciprocal third stop adapted to operatively and cooperatively engage one of the side edges of the strips as it is projected upon the stack for effecting a substantial vertical alignment of the corresponding vertical edge thereof with the remainder already stacked.

These and other objects will be seen 'from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the present aligning device.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section on an increased scale taken in the direction of arrows 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic end elevational view of the aligning device of FIG. 1.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely a preferred embodiment of the invention by way of illustration and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawing. FIG. 1 indicates at R a roll of steel, for illustration, or any other metal, with a motor feed M for delivering the steel stock S into a shearing device indicated at M and which includes a cutter C and with a feed means P which may be in the form of a pair of intermittently operated gripping rollers for ejecting 3,385,457 Patented May 28, 1968 successively a series of metal strips or sheets 11 into a stack relative to the aligning device shown in FIG. 1.

The aligning device is designated at 12 and includes a pair of spaced parallel stock support rails 13 onto which a series of sheets 11 are longitudinally ejected as shown in FIG. 1, said rails 13 being arranged forwardly of and in substantial alignment of the path of power ejectment of the individual sheets 11 as they are severed at C and ejected from the machine tool or cutter M onto the said rails 13 as shown in FIG. 3, said rails being mounted upon the ground surface of floor 14.

A transverse upright stop plate 15 is anchored at 16 at the ends of rails 13 adapted to limit longitudinal inward movements of the sheets 11 as they are ejected from the shear M. An elongated upright second stop plate 17 is arranged at right angles to stop plate 15 and has its base 18 positioned along the side of one of the rails 13 as a positive lateral stop for the sheets 11, the stop plate 17 being arranged laterally of the path of stacking movement of the said sheets.

The second stop plate 17 and one or both of the rails 13 are transversely slotted as at 19 to facilitate insertion of the conventional lifting forks 20 of the forklift L shows schematically in FIG. 3 for removing the stack of sheets 11 from time to time for subsequent handling.

An elongated support 21 is mounted or secured upon the floor surface 14 and includes the upright plate 22 mounting a pair of laterally spaced parallel bushings 23 to provide the guiding support for the laterally adjustable reciprocal third stop plate 26. Stop plates 17 and 26 at their one ends are bent angularly outwardly defining upright inclined guide means 41 for receiving elements 11.

This upright third stop plate movably mounted with respect to the support 22 and as arranged parallel to the second stop plate 17 and is normally spaced from said second stop plate a distance greater than the width of the strips 11. In the operation of the present aligning device the stop plate 26 is adapted for intermittent inward and outward movements relative to its supports 21, 22, 23 for operative engagement with the individual side edge of the sheets 11 just after they are ejected onto the said stack FIG. 3 for bringing its outer vertical edge into substantial registry and alignment with the aligned strips already in the stack as best shown in FIG. 3.

Various types of reciprocal power means may be employed suitably connected to the third stop plate for effecting intermittent lateral engagement of said third stop plate with each of the strips successively is indicated in dotted lines, FIG. 3. For illustration, one such power means is shown schematically in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.

The mounting of the third stop plate 26 includes a pair of spaced horizontally disposed tubular supports 24 for illustration which are slidably 'and guidably mounted within the respective bushings 23 and at their one ends are connected to third stop plate 26 by a yieldable con nection and at their other ends are connected to the reciprocal power means as schematically shown at 31, FIG. 2.

The connection of the reciprocal power means to the reciprocal upright third stop plate 26 includes the yielding lost motion connection which comprises the elongated laterally arranged sleeves 25 which are secured to the side of the stop plate 26 as shown in FIG. 2 and includes elongated slots 28 adapted to cooperatively receive the laterally extending pins 27 connected at the inner ends of the tubular supports 24. A suitable coil spring 29 is interposed in compression between tubular support 24 and guide sleeve 25 to thus provide a cushioned or yielding or lost motion connection between the power operated and reciprocated tubular supports 24 and the sleeves 25 for effecting intermittent lateral inward and outward 3 movements of the stop plate 26 as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The inner ends of the tubular supports 24 have studs or bosses '30 to which are flexibly connected as at 31 the outer ends of the control arms 32 whose inner ends are pivotally connected as at 33 to the eccentric discs 34 on power rotated shaft 35.

'One form of simplified and schematic power transmission is shown in FIG. 1 which includes transmission housing 36 including electric motor 37 with output shaft 38 geared at 39 and 40 to the driveshaft 35 which mounts the eccentrics 34 for elfecting intermittent reciprocal longitudinal movements of the links or arms 32 and corresponding reciprocal movement of the third stop plate 26.

In the operation of the present aligning device the spacing between stop plate 26 and the stationary second stop plate 17 is such that the strips 11 ejected from the cutting tool M have sufiicient clearance as to conveniently pass between the stop plates 17 and 26 and for stopping against the end stop and there may normally be a limited amount of space between one edge of the corresponding strips 11 and the stationary stop plate 17.

The inward movement of the third stop plate 26 for operatively engaging momentarily the elongated lateral edge of the strip should follow the ejection of the strip 11 onto the stack of other strips on the support rails 13. For this purpose a suitable timing device should preferably be employed. One such device shown in FIG. 3 is a limit switch 42 in the path of ejecting movement of the individual strips 11 upon the cutting machine M. This limit switch is interposed in an electric circuit to the controls for motor 37 to assure that this is energized just after the individual sheet 11 has been applied to the stack shown in the FIGURE 3 to thus effect intermittent movement of the third stop plate 26 to operatively engage the said topmost strip 11 for bringing its outer edge most closely adjacent the movable stop 26 into vertical alignment with the other strips.

One type of power means has been illustrated in the drawing for effecting intermittent reciprocal lateral movement of third stop plate 26. Now it is contemplated that other means could be employed as for example reciprocal piston of a cylinder, whether it be pneuamtic or hydraulic or any other motor means adapted to effect a longitudinal reciprocal movement to the corresponding third stop plate supports 24.

In the present illustration it is contemplated that the connection with the stop plate 26 and the guiding supports 24 could be a fixed connection under some conditions. However, it has been found that often there is not complete and absolute uniformity of thickness of the stock and in order to avoid damaging of the stock by a fixed amount of compressing with engagement of stop plate 26 thereag'ainst; it is found desirable to provide a lost motion connection as best shown in FIG. 2, so that there is a yielding engagement of the stop plate 26 with respect to the strips 11. Normally speaking, when the stock has been provided in a stack 11 of a predetermined heighth the same is removed in such stack by suitable liftfork such as shown fragmentarily at L. For this purpose there bas been provided the laterally opening slots 19, FIG. 1, to permit introduction of the transversely arranged forks for the lifting purpose.

Having described my invention reference should now be had to the following claims.

I claim:

1. An aligner for stacking sheets ejected in a stack from a metal sheer or other machine;

the improvement comprising: a pair of spaced stack support rails onto which a series of sheets are longitudinally ejected;

a transverse upright first stop plate at the end of said rails to limit longitudinal movements of said sheets; an elongated upright second stop plate at right angles to said first stop plate positioned along the side of one of said rails as a positive lateral stop for said sheet, being arranged laterally of the path of stacking movement of said sheets;

an elongated upright movably mounted third stop plate parallel to said second stop plate normally spaced from said second stop plate a. distance greater than the width of said sheet;

and a reciprocal power means connected to said third stop plate for intermittent lateral engagement with each sheet at one edge thereof for vertically aligning the edges of said sheets;

the mounting of said third stop plate including an upright support mounting a pair of spaced horizontally disposed bushings;

and a pair of tubular supports slid'ably positioned in the said bushings, at their one ends connected to said third stop plate and at their other ends connected to said reciprocal power means for movement in unison;

there being a resilient yielding lost motion connection between said tubular supports and said third stop plate, said connection including a spring located within the tubular supports.

2. An aligner for stacking sheets ejected in 'a stack from a metal sheer or other machine;

the improvement comprising: a pair of spaced stack support rails onto which a series of sheets are longitudinally ejected;

a transverse upright first stop plate at the end of said rails to limit longitudinal movements of said sheets;

an elongated upright second stop plate at right angles to said first stop plate positioned along the side of one of said rails as a positive lateral stop for said sheet, being arranged laterally of the path of stacking movement of said sheets;

an elongated upright movably mounted third stop plate parallel to said second stop plate normally spaced from said second stop plate a distance greater than the width of said sheet;

and a reciprocal power means connected to said third stop plate for intermittent lateral engagement with each sheet at one edge thereof for vertically aligning the edges of said sheets;

the mounting of said third stop plate including an upright support mounting a pair of spaced horizontally disposed bushings;

and a pair of tubular supports slidably positioned in the said bushings, at their one ends connected to said third stop plate and at their other ends connected to said reciprocal power means for movement in unison;

there being a resilient yielding lost motion connection between said tubular supports and said third stop plate;

said lost motion connection including guide tubes telescopically receiving said tubular supports;

a pin and slot connection between said guide tubes and tubular supports;

and a coil spring interposed in compression between said guide tubes and tubular supports respectively.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,865,308 6/1932 Evans et al. 2l46 1,892,591 12/1932 Steele et al 271--89 2,128,316 8/1938 Paul 214--6 X 2,137,478 11/1938 Delany 2146 X 2,607,501 8/1952 Jeffrey 2146 3,111,233 11/1963 :Raynor 214-6 ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Examiner.

R. I. SPAR. Assistant Examiner. 

